Switch-throw mechanism



Jan. T5 1926;.-

R. E. YoLToN SWITCH THROW MECHANI SM Filed March 30 1925 .gn-.centen E 2.5. mL ron/.j

' '4 i Si Patented Jan. 5, 1926. l

i.fnonnnr E .f.YoLroN, for BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AssIGfNolv.v To XIL'Bir-:Fno'e "a -sw1ToHcoMPANx A1CORPORATION-@ALABAMA c swrrcntrnaow nnen-linien.; j f iv Y 'f ,apputatiqn nea Marci; saliera@ serial' izq. .isaeaf Ik i l Tow/III- w/wm t may c'oncerm- ,Y ,l Y Beit known `that I, ROBERT EnYoL'r'oN, a citizenof'the United States,oflilmericm 'residingiat Birmingham, inthe fcount'ybf Jelersonand State ofAlabama, haif'e'ri'nfvvented .eertain new and useful; Improve- 'lnm'tsV inl Switch-Throw r Mechanism7 of which the following is a specificatie'n... l

4 My invention. relates toa switch operating v mechanismfand :particularly to ,known as parallel throw :mechanismjor operating'a switch .in whichthe actuating lever ymoves in inplanel parallel ,withfthe track and at right angles to the switch throw rod which it actuates4 to move the switch. i ,Y My present invention is,applicableto switchwstands .or.. any standardl type-.otl switch operating,A mechanism kand. isdistin -guished by the provision vof a cylinder and slide v block as a means for `converting 'the parallel motion of the lever into ,the transverseA motion imparted vtothe -throwroicl The special ad'vantagesl'of this arrangement is thatI obtain va full bearing .for actuating the switch thoughoutfthe entire trayel of the lever and thus avoid what vmay/be A .termed agpoint bearing whichyis present in most vparallel throw y switch mechanism .and

,which gives a point: of high resistance to the operation ofpthe 4leveriurj In my: :arrangement I avoid all lost-motion in the connec-A tions .andi reduce the, friction to a minimum so that the switch can be thrown with the greatest ease.

My invention further'contemplates providing the throw lever with a pin adapted to engage a piston working in a cylinder on a bell crank element to. which the throw rod is connected, the cylinder being preferably open overhead and in its side so that the top of the piston will rise above the top oi' the cylinder and will drop below. the side opening therein during each operation, thus enabling the piston to keep the cylinder clear ot obstructions, binders, etc., thatl might otherwise tend to accumulate therein. My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accom-V panying drawingsl which ,form a part of this specification, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the switch stand. v

' isla gvside elevationfof Il. 'E

Figffy isl an enlarged perspective'-View7 'of haben erankgaeang,warring ,cylinder e, l. f 1 :Slinfl 'r refe'rencefnumeralsreferto,similar parts .throughol'it thel y drawings.z

Y, vIfhaveillustrated, my invention in its `siniciples officonstruction .are readily f adaptable .1

to'. various otherl types V'of 'switch operating .,'mechani'slm fincluding switch vstandSLAS shown, the mechanism comprisesabase'l the handleV 45.l A. lCotter ,keyl f'sfe'zures'L y the otally `ino1inted Qon' the; basefin yposition to i swing in a plane parallel to the ftraek. The

handle carries atl 'gfree ,V end a 7 provided with` a f' gripffor.. its convenient operation. Atlan interme:di'ate ,'ointf'near its .pwtnd .andrrojetigbt OP'p'Q'Site sidefromgtliepin 6, 'the handle lciujfries" an operating 'pin This .pin v,isg adapted' ,to -v.enter ,a side opening drilled a ,Whhl piston. .isV mounted for .vertici tened base 16 adapted to slide on an `extension 13v of the base casting and having aY threaded hole bored rlongitudinally and horizontally therethrough to receive an eye lbolt 17 to which the connecting rod, not

obtained the hole is bored high enough in l and entirely through the arm 15 so thatl the inner end of the eye bolt' will pass clear above the pivot pin 14:, thus giving a maximum range of adjustment with a relatively short arm 15. The cylinder 10 has its top edge bevelled to prevent the collection of cinders and dirt thereon and it is provided with a large side aperture 18 which rises above the height of the piston when the lat-V ter is in its lowermost position.

Cil

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that when the piston reaches 'its highest position, which is when the handle is vertical, its upper edge will rise above' the topV of .the cylinder;

In operation, having; mounted the base and connected the eye bolt to the switch throw rod, assuming the handle iirthe position shown in Fig. 1,'on grasping and raising the handle the pin 8`l will be caused to travel through an arcuate path about the pin 4 as an axis and in following this path iti WiI'laCt both to lift' the piston in the 's'tru'edfthat am'V limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution 'of' equivalents mayhem-ade by those skilled in the art.' without departing from the invention as deiined in the' appendedj claims;

Having thus' described my inventionwhat claim as j new and desire-"to secure by yliietters; Patent, isfl. A. switch throw mechanism comprising gestand, a lever mounted on said `stand for movement with the track', a horizontaljlj5-f `inovakilerockerfmonnted on the stand andi having one end adapted for connection to the switch and the other end carrying an upright' cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, and an" operating connection from the lieverv to the piston, there being a slot in the cylinder through which saidl connection-v is free to move kwith the lever.

2. A parallel switch throw' mechanism comprising a switch operating rocker element pivoted to move* in' a. horizontal: plane, a lever movable through a vertical plane, an operating connection between the lever and the rocker element comprising an upright cylinder having a side aperture, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, and a pin connecting the piston and lever through said aperture.

3. parallel switch throw mechanism in accordance with. claim 2, in which theV cylinder is left open overhead and the piston is adapted. to rise above the topV of the cylin'der' with each operation, the top of the cylinder being downwardly..

4. parallel switch throw mechanism in accordance with claim 2, in which theI aperbevelled outwardly and lture overhead is vshaped to follow the path ofthe piston operating connection on the l'ever, and the pistonwhen in its lowermost position is' adapted to dropl below the top level of said aperture.

52 A parallel switch throw mechanism comprising a stand, a lever pivoted to the stand to swing in a vertical plane parallel withv the track, a bellcranh lever pivoted to the stand to swing in a horizontal plane, a vertical cylinder on one arm of the bell crank, there being' a vertically elongated slfot in' the outer sid-'e of' said cylinder, apiston movable with a snug fit in said cylinder, a pin on the lever, aside holein thepiston adapted to receive said pin with a snug fit, an element adjustably mounted on the other armof` the bell crank lever and adapted to receive thes-witch throw connection.

In testimony whereof I afHX my signature.

ROBERT YoLfroN. 

